Understanding Demand and What It Means for You

What Is Demand?

Electricity powers nearly every part of our daily lives—from heating and cooling our homes to cooking meals and cleaning up afterward. We contribute to electric demand whenever we flip a switch or run an appliance.

Demand is the amount of power (measured in kilowatts or kW) needed to run everything in your home at a specific time. Your peak demand is the 30 minutes each month when your home uses the most electricity.

This peak demand is unique to each member—it can occur at different times of the day or week,  depending on how and when electricity is used in your home.

Why Demand Matters

When multiple high-use appliances run simultaneously (like your oven, dryer, and dishwasher), demand spikes—a peak. Think of it like your internet connection: one device streaming a movie works fine, but when everyone in the house starts streaming at once, it slows things down. That higher "bandwidth" of electricity puts more strain on the power system.

Although your total energy use (kWh) matters, how fast and how much you use at once (kW) can drive up the cost of providing reliable service. RVEC must invest in equipment and infrastructure to meet these peak demands, even if they only happen occasionally.

How You Can Reduce Demand

Reducing demand helps everyone — it keeps system costs lower, improves grid reliability, and supports RVEC’s mission to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.

Here are some simple ways to manage demand:

  • Stagger appliance use – Don’t run your electric oven, clothes dryer, and dishwasher simultaneously. Spread their use out over time.
  • Time your showers – Avoid using both simultaneously if you have an electric water heater and dryer.
  • Think efficiency – Use energy-efficient appliances and switch off devices when not in use.
  • Monitor with SmartHub – Keep track of your usage and identify when your demand spikes.

Pro Tip: Think of electricity like filling a pool. A firehose can do it fast but costs more; a garden hose takes longer but is gentler on the system. Either way, the pool gets filled—but the rate of delivery matters.

At RVEC, we’re always working to help our members learn more, take control of their energy use, and save money. Have questions about your demand or electric bill? Contact us anytime—we're here to help!